Ski safety binding element with adjustable release force

ABSTRACT

A pivotally mounted toe holder in a ski safety binding is held in its angular operating position by a spherical detent engaging a radial notch in the shaft carrying the toe holder. The detent is biased inward of the recess by a helical compression spring whose stress may be adjusted by a threadedly mounted backing member. An abutment member has an abutment face in the tubular guide member receiving the spring and partly receiving the detent and the backing member, and impedes or prevents excessive tightening of the spring by threaded movement of the backing member inward of the guide member.

Unite 1* States Patent 1191 Sittmann SKI SAFETY BINDING ELEMENT WITHADJUSTABLE RELEASE FORCE Brigitte Sittmann, Stuttgart, GermanyVereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. (GmbH), Leonberg, GermanyFiled: Jan. 22, 1973 Appl. No.1 325,247

Related [1.8. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 303,032,Nov. 2, 1972.

lnventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 27, 1972 Germany...; 2203867 US.Cl 280/11.35 T Int. Cl A63c 9/08 Field of Search 280/1 1.35 T

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1973 Biermann 280/1135 T3,027,173 3/1962 Beyl 280/1135 T FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,956,703 11/1969 Germany 280/1135 T Primary Examiner-Robert R. SongAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Hans Berman; Kurt Kelman [57] ABSTRACT Apivotally mounted toe holder in a ski safety binding is held in itsangular operating position by a spherical detent engaging a radial notchin the shaft carrying the toe holder. The detent is biased inward of therecess by a helical compression spring whose stress may be adjusted by athreadedly mounted backing member. An abutment member has an abutmentface in the tubular guide member receiving the spring and partlyreceiving the detent and the backing member, and impedes or preventsexcessive tightening of the spring by threaded movement of the backingmember inward of the guide member.

14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAYZI 1am I 3.811.698

sum 1 or 2 SKI SAFETY BINDING ELEMENT WITH ADJUSTABLE RELEASE FORCE Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Ser.No. 303,032, filed Nov. 2, 1972.

In the afore-mentioned application, there was disclosed a toe or heelholder for a safety binding pivotally mounted on a stub shaft, and heldin its angular position by a spring-loaded, spherical detent guided in abore of the holder radial relative to the shaft axis toward one of fourequiangularly offset notches in the shaft which differ in their depth.The shaft is attached to the top surface of a ski by a square mountingplate and four screws at the corners of the plate so that the detentengages different notches in the shaft, and therefore resists deflectionof the holder from its operating position with different force dependingon the orientation of the mounting plate on the ski surface.

The device briefly described above has been found very effective inreducing the number of leg injuries resulting from detents set for anexcessive releasing force by inexperienced skiers. Tools and a certainamount of mechanical skill are needed for changing the effective depthof the notch engaging the detent member, and thereby varying theeffective length and biasing force of the spring which releasably holdsthe detent in the notch and prevents movement of the toe or heel holderout of its operating position, and this fact normally induces a noviceto seek the services of a ski expert more likely to fit the springtension to the capability of the skier.

It is simple enough to remove the four screws which hold the mountingplate of the earlier device, to turn holder, which combines theadvantageous deterrent effect of the aforedescribed device on a novicewith the capability of being adjusted by an experienced skier ormechanic as many times as may be desired during a useful life of the skiwhich remains unaffected by frequently repeated adjustment operations.

With this object and others in view, as will presently become apparent,the safety binding element of the invention includes a shaft formed withat least one radial recess in its outer circumference, and means forfastening the shaft on the longitudinal top surface of a ski in aposition in which the axis of the shaft is transverse to the skisurface. A toe or heel holder, generically referred to as a shoe holder,is mounted on the shaft for angular movement about the shaft axis towardand away from an operating position.

Movement away from the operating position is releasably impeded by adetent arrangement including a tubular guide member fixed on or integralwith the shoe holder and formed with an elongated bore whose one endportion communicates with the recess in the shaft in the operatingposition of the shoe holder. A detent member is movably received in theone end portion of the bore, and a backing member is longitudinallyadjustable in the other end portion of the bore. A compression springinterposed between the backing member and the detent member in the borebiases the detent member toward engagement with the recess with a forcethat may be varied by longitudinally adjusting the backing member in thebore.

Excessive compression of the spring by a novice is discouraged by anabutment device which is releasably secured to the guide member and hasan abutment face in an intermediate portion of the bore which prevents,or at least impedes, movement of the backing member toward the recess inthe shaft.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the follow-- ing detailed description of preferredembodiments when considered in connection with the appended 7 drawing inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a ski carrying a safety binding element of theinvention in top plan view, the binding element being partly shown insection;

FIG. 2 shows a modified detent arrangement for use in the bindingelement of FIG. 1 in plan section on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 illustrates yet another modification of the detent arrangement inthe apparatus of FIG. 1 in the manner of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show halves of further modifications of thedetent arrangement in the apparatus of FIG. 1 in plan section.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is seen the portion of a ski I towhich a safety binding element 2 of the invention is attached by fourfilister head screws 3. The heads of the screws 3 project aboverespective corners of a base plate 4 from which a heavy stub shaft 5extends into a conforming blind bore of a toe holder 6. A spacer ring 7keeps the toe holder above the heads of the screws 3. Angular movementof the toe holder 6 from the illustrated operating position is limitedby an abutment 8 on the underside of the toe holder which engages theheads of adjacent screws 3. Four radial notches 9 are equiangularlyspaced about the axis of the shaft 5. The notches differ in size and mayeach be brought into a position of engagement with a spherical detent 10by suitably orienting the base plate 4 on the ski l. The detent 10 isbiased inward of the engaged notch 9 by a helical compression spring 11.The structure described so far has been disclosed in more detail in theafore-mentioned earlier application.

The spring 11 and the detent 10 are coaxially received in the elongatedbore 12 of a guide sleeve 13 integrally fastened to the toe holder 6.The bore 12 is of generally circular cross section. Its diameter isgreater than that of the detent 10 except adjacent the shaft 5 where thebore orifice is restricted, as is better seen in FIGS. 2 to 5, to limitoutward movement of the detent 10 during assembly. The longitudinal endportion of the bore 12 near the restricted orifice is smoothlycylindrical and offset by a shoulder 14 from the remainder of the bore12 which is provided with internal threads 15.

The end of the bore 12 remote from the shaft 5 is closed by anexternally threaded cup-shaped plug 16 backing the spring 11 whose endis received in the cavity of the plug 16. The outer radial face of theplug 16 is provided with a slot 17 which permits threaded adjustment ofthe plug in the bore 12 by means of a screw driver. Threaded movement ofthe plug 16 toward the shaft 5 is limited by a generally cylindrical,tubular, externally threaded abutment member 18 engaging the threads andbacked by the annular, radial face of the shoulder 14.

The width of the member 18, as measured in the direction of the commonaxis of the bore 12 and the spring 11, determines the extent to which anovice armed with a screw driver, but unwilling to disassemble thedetent mechanism, can shorten the effective length of the spring 11, andthereby increase the force which prevents release of the skiers foot bythe toe holder 6. When fitting the ski to a prospective user in a shop,a person of moderate mechanical skill can quickly remove the plug 16 andthe spring 11, and thereafter insert a screw driver into a transverseslot 19 of the member 18 to withdraw the same from the bore 12, therebypermitting the plug 16 to be moved into engagement with the annular faceof the shoulder 14, as may be suitable for a strongly built skier, or toreplace the member 18 by another one of different axial length. It isalso possible, though generally less safe, merely to move the abutmentmember 18 away from the shoulder 14 so that the annular abutment face ofthe member 18 is shifted away from the shaft 5. Under unfavorableconditions, however, the member 18 may turn with the plug 16 when thelatter is adjusted, and may thus not limit the movement of the plug 16in the desired, predictable manner.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the threaded abutment member 18 may be replacedby a smoothly cylindrical abutment ring 21 in a structure otherwiseidentical with that illustrated in FIG. 1, and not fully illustrated inFIG. 2. The ring 21 is inserted and withdrawn even more simply than themember 18, but it tends to produce a clicking noise as it slides freelyback and forth in the bore 12. The ring 21 may be inserted in theapparatus of FIG. 1 between the abutment member 18 and the shoulder 14for shortening the available adjustment stroke of the plug 16, andseveral rings may be juxtaposed axially in the device of FIG. 2 for thesame purpose.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 rely onabutment faces of elements radially projecting from recesses in theguide sleeve into the path of the plug 16 for preventing or at leastimpeding excessive compression of the spring 11 by the backing p T heguide sleeve 23 shown in FIG. 3 differs from the sleeve 13 by beingprovided with three transverse, internally threaded bores spacedlongitudinally of the elongated bore 12. One of the transverse boresreceives a flat-head screw 24 whose reduced, smoothly cylindrical endprojects sufficiently into the bore 12 to prevent movement of the plug16 beyond a position of abutting engagement of the flat, annular endface of the plug 16 with the cylindrical abutment face 25 of the screw24. The other two transverse bores in the sleeve 23 are closed byplastic plugs 26 to prevent entry of snow and other contaminants, andthe positions of the plugs 26 and of the screw 24 may be interchanged tovary the adjusting stroke of the plug 16.

The guide sleeve 27 illustrated in FIG. 4 has two axially spaced,relatively large, radial bores 28 communicating with an intermediateportion of the bore 12. The corresponding portion of the sleeve 27 has aheavier wall which is not unduly weakened by the bores 28.

Each bore 28 has a reduced inner orifice 29, and a wider, outer portionwhich is internally threaded to receive a partly hollow screw 30. Thescrew is inserted in one of the two bores 28 and backs a helicalcompression spring 31 which biases a cup-shaped abutment member 32 outof the recess of the bore 28 and into the bore 12. A flange 32 at thebase of the abutment member 32 is dimensioned not to pass through theorifice 29. The abutment member 32 presents a frustoconical abutmentface 33 to the plug 16, and thus may impede the threaded movement of theplug 16 toward the detent 10, but yields when greater force is exertedon a non-illustrated screw driver employed for turning the plug 16. Thesudden increase in the required operating force of the screw driver isrelied upon as a deterrent against excessively stressing the spring 11.A plastic plug 34 closes the bore 28 not receiving the screw.

The detent mechanism illustrated in FIG. 5 is closely similar to thatdescribed above with reference to FIG. 4. The restricted orifices 29 ofits radial bores 28' are further reduced in diameter immediatelyadjacent the bore 12 for retaining a spherical detent member 35 which isbiased outward of the recess in the bore 28 by the spring 31.

It is a common feature of the mechanisms illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5that the abutment faces impeding the threaded movement of the plug 16are obliquely inclined relative to the axis of the bore 12, and thuscammingly cooperate with the end face of the plug 16 which shifts themout of the bore 12 when engaging the abutment faces.

To prevent tampering with the coarse spring adjustment as limited by thescrews 24, 30 in FIGS. 3 to 5, the screws may be sealed to the guidesleeve 27 by a glob 35 of sealing material, such as solder or plasticcement, as is shown in FIG. 5. The plug 16 may be secured in ananalogous manner, but this is not normally necessary as long as threadedplug movement is limited by an abutment face located intermediate thetwo end portions of the bore 12.

While the invention has been described in connection with the notchedshaft of the earlier application, it may be used to advantage with ashaft having but a single notch or similar recess, and a base plate orother mounting element fixedly attached to a ski in but a singleoperative position.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosurerelates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it isintended to cover all changes and variations of the examples of theinvention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety binding element for a ski comprising, in combination:

a. a shaft member having an axis and being formed with a radial recessin the outer circumference thereof;

b. fastening means for fastening said member on the longitudinal topsurface of a ski in a position in which said axis is transverse to saidsurface;

0. a shoe holder member mounted on said shaft member for angularmovement about said axis toward and away from an operating position; and

d. detent means for releasably impeding movement of said shoe holdermember away from said operating position, said detent means including 1.a detent member,

2. a tubular guide member on said shoe holder member formed with anelongated bore having one end portion communicating with said recess insaid operating position and another end portion remote from said recess,said bore movably receiving said detent member,

3. a backing member longitudinally adjustable in said other end portion,

4. a compression spring interposed in said bore between said backingmember and said detent member and biasing said detent member towardengagement with said recess with a force that may be varied bylongitudinally adjusting said backing member in said bore, and

5. abutment means releasably secured to said guide member-and having anabutment face in a portion of said bore intermediatesaid end portions,said abutment face impeding movement of said backing member from saidintermediate po'rtion toward said one end portion.

2. An element as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide member isthreaded in said bore and said backing member carries external threadsengaging said guide member for threaded adjusting movement, said guidemember having a shoulder in said bore, an annular face of said shoulderbeing directed toward said other end portion, and said abutment facebeing interposed between said annular face and said backing member andpreventing engagement of said annular face by said backing member.

3. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment meansinclude a threaded annular abutment member threadedly engaging thethreads in said bore between said backing member and said shoulder.

4. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment meansinclude a ring member received in said bore and dimensioned for freelongitudinal movement in said bore between said backing member and saidshoulder.

5. An element as set forth in claim 2, wherein said guide member isformed with a transverse, threaded bore, and said abutment means includea screw member threadedly movable in said transverse bore inward andoutward of said elongated bore.

6. An element as set forth inclaim 5, wherein said guide member isformed with another transverse bore offset from said first-mentionedtransverse bore longitudinally of said elongatedbore, said other borebeing internally threaded for mating engagement with said screw member.

7. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said backing member andsaid screw member constitute a pair of externally threaded members, andsaid element further comprises a body of sealing material sealing onemember of said pair to said guide member and preventing threadedmovement of said one member.

8. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said abutment meansfurther include an abutment member carrying said abutment face andpartly received in said transverse bore, and yieldably resilient meansinterposed between said screw member and said abutment member andbiasing the abutment member inward of said elongated bore.

9. An element as set forth in claim 8, further comprising engagementmeans on said backing member engageable with said abutment face forshifting said abutment member outward of said elongated bore against therestraint of said yieldably resilient means when said backing memberthreadedly moves toward said shoulder.

10. An element as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abutment meansinclude yieldably resilient means biasing said abutment face inward ofsaid bore, and said backing member carries engagement means engage ablewith said abutment face for shifting said abutment face outward of saidbore against the restraint of said yieldably resilient means when saidbacking member threadedly moves toward said shoulder.

11. An element as set forth in claim 10, wherein said guide member isformed with a recess communicating with said bore, said abutment meansincluding an abutment member carrying said abutment face, said yieldablyresilient means biasing said abutment member outward of said recess intosaid bore, and said engagement means shifting said abutment memberinward of said recess when engaging said abutment face during threadedmovement of said backing member toward said shoulder.

12. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said abutment face isobliquely inclined relative to the direction of elongation of said bore.

13. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said recess has arestricted orifice communicating with said bore, and said abutmentmember has an enlarged base portion dimensioned to prevent passagethereof through said orifice and thereby limiting movement of saidabutment member inward of said bore, said yieldably resilient meansincluding a compression spring in said recess engaging said baseportion.

14. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein said abutment face isspherically arcuate.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo.3,811,696 Dated May 21. 197

Inventofls) BRIGI'LTE SIT'I'MANN It is certified that error appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

In the heading, after line insert Nov. 3, 1.971 Germany P 21 54 639.4

Signed arid sealed this 17th day of September 1974 (SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents FORM PO-lOSO (10-69) USCOMM DC 60376 peg w u.s. GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE: I969 036633A.

1. A safety binding element for a ski comprising, in combination: a. ashaft member having an axis and being formed with a radial recess in theouter circumference thereof; b. fastening means for fastening saidmember on the longitudinal top surface of a ski in a position in whichsaid axis is transverse to said surface; c. a shoe holder member mountedon said shaft member for angular movement about said axis toward andaway from an operating position; and d. detent means for releasablyimpeding movement of said shoe holder member away from said operatingposition, said detent means including
 1. a detent member,
 2. a tubularguide member on said shoe holder member formed with an elongated borehaving one end portion communicating with said recess in said operatingposition and another end portion remote from said recess, said boremovably receiving said detent member,
 3. a backing member longitudinallyadjustable in said other end portion,
 4. a compression spring interposedin said bore between said backing member and said detent member andbiasing said detent member toward engagement with said recess with aforce that may be varied by longitudinally adjusting said backing memberin said bore, and
 5. abutment means releasably secured to said guidemember and having an abutment face in a portion of said boreintermediate said end portions, said abutment face impeding movement ofsaid backing member from said intermediate portion toward said one endportion.
 2. a tubular guide member on said shoe holder member formedwith an elongated bore having one end portion communicating with saidrecess in said operating position and another end portion remote fromsaid recess, said bore movably receiving said detent member,
 2. Anelement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide member is threadedin said bore and said backing member carries external threads engagingsaid guide member for threaded adjusting movement, said guide memberhaving a shoulder in said bore, an annular face of said shoulder beingdirected toward said other end portion, and said abutment facE beinginterposed between said annular face and said backing member andpreventing engagement of said annular face by said backing member.
 3. Anelement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment means include athreaded annular abutment member threadedly engaging the threads in saidbore between said backing member and said shoulder.
 3. a backing memberlongitudinally adjustable in said other end portion,
 4. a compressionspring interposed in said bore between said backing member and saiddetent member and biasing said detent member toward engagement with saidrecess with a force that may be varied by longitudinally adjusting saidbacking member in said bore, and
 4. An element as set forth in claim 2,wherein said abutment means include a ring member received in said boreand dimensioned for free longitudinal movement in said bore between saidbacking member and said shoulder.
 5. An element as set forth in claim 2,wherein said guide member is formed with a transverse, threaded bore,and said abutment means include a screw member threadedly movable insaid transverse bore inward and outward of said elongated bore. 5.abutment means releasably secured to said guide member and having anabutment face in a portion of said bore intermediate said end portions,said abutment face impeding movement of said backing member from saidintermediate portion toward said one end portion.
 6. An element as setforth in claim 5, wherein said guide member is formed with anothertransverse bore offset from said first-mentioned transverse borelongitudinally of said elongated bore, said other bore being internallythreaded for mating engagement with said screw member.
 7. An element asset forth in claim 5, wherein said backing member and said screw memberconstitute a pair of externally threaded members, and said elementfurther comprises a body of sealing material sealing one member of saidpair to said guide member and preventing threaded movement of said onemember.
 8. An element as set forth in claim 5, wherein said abutmentmeans further include an abutment member carrying said abutment face andpartly received in said transverse bore, and yieldably resilient meansinterposed between said screw member and said abutment member andbiasing the abutment member inward of said elongated bore.
 9. An elementas set forth in claim 8, further comprising engagement means on saidbacking member engageable with said abutment face for shifting saidabutment member outward of said elongated bore against the restraint ofsaid yieldably resilient means when said backing member threadedly movestoward said shoulder.
 10. An element as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid abutment means include yieldably resilient means biasing saidabutment face inward of said bore, and said backing member carriesengagement means engageable with said abutment face for shifting saidabutment face outward of said bore against the restraint of saidyieldably resilient means when said backing member threadedly movestoward said shoulder.
 11. An element as set forth in claim 10, whereinsaid guide member is formed with a recess communicating with said bore,said abutment means including an abutment member carrying said abutmentface, said yieldably resilient means biasing said abutment memberoutward of said recess into said bore, and said engagement meansshifting said abutment member inward of said recess when engaging saidabutment face during threaded movement of said backing member towardsaid shoulder.
 12. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein saidabutment face is obliquely inclined relative to the direction ofelongation of said bore.
 13. An element as set forth in claim 11,wherein said recess has a restricted orifice communicating with saidbore, and said abutment member has an enlarged base portion dimensionedto prevent passage thereof through said orifice and thereby limitingmovement of said abutment member inward of said bore, said yieldablyresilient means including a compression spring in said recess engagingsaid base portion.
 14. An element as set forth in claim 11, wherein saidabutment face is spherically arcuate.